Disposable razors and safety razors are commonly used by consumers for shaving various bodily parts such as faces, and legs. However, such razors have the disadvantage of being limited in their overall reach due to the fact that the length of the handle of the typical razor is designed to only fit within the palm of the user's hand, such that the razor head is close to the user's hand. Thus, using such razors to reach remote locations of the body, such as the lower portions of the legs, can require much effort and discomfort, especially for a person who has a physical disability, is overweight, or is pregnant.
To address this problem, an extendable razor handle has been developed which extends the overall reach of the razor and thereby facilitates the shaving procedure. This device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,167,069 issued to Quinn, which discloses a telescopically extendable and retractable body having a manual handle at one end and a pivoting razor shaving assembly at the opposite end. The body consists of a first and second tubular member which are telescopically interconnected, the first tubular member being pivotally connected to the shaving assembly support arm and the second tubular member being inserted into the handle assembly. The telescoping connections between the first and second tubular members and the handle assembly enable the apparatus to be extended to three different lengths depending on the needs of the user. The first and second tubular members are spring-biased by a coil spring to their telescopically extended positions from the handle assembly.
While the device disclosed in the '069 patent has the advantage of extending the reach of the user, it is not without disadvantages. For example, the handle is capable of extending to merely two positions, and therefore is limited in its ability to accommodate the reach of various users, as well as its ability to reach a variety of different bodily surfaces. Moreover, the device requires the use of a spring coil, to provide the extension capability, and, therefore, is subject to break down when the spring coil wears out. Also, the spring coil increases the cost of the device as well as the time required in its manufacture and assembly. In addition, the patent does not disclose an extendable handle that is flexible so as to allow the shaving blades to more accurately follow the contours of the body portion being shaved.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,905,372, issued to Willis, discloses a razor handle extension which can be adapted to detachably connect to the handle of a disposable razor to increase the length of the handle and to permit the user to more easily shave various bodily parts. However, the patent does not disclose a handle which is telescopically extendable to a number of positions so as to accommodate a variety of users in a variety of uses, nor does the patent disclose a flexible handle for a closer shave.